John edwaed watson



(No Model.) 8 2 sheets-sheet 1. J. E. WATSON.

RELAY. No. 383,843. Patented May 29, 1888.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J. E. WATSON.

RELAY.

No. 383,843. Patented May 29, 1888.

.dttorney UNITED STATES PATENT Oil-rieno JOHN EDWARD lWATSON, OF LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY, ASSIGNOR TO THE INTERNATIONAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, OF SAME PLAC RELAY.a

SPECIFICATION forming part o Letters Patent No. 383,843, dated May 29,1883.

Application filed February 1, 1888. Serial No. 262,614.

To a/ZZ whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, JOHN EDWARD WATsoN, acitizen of the United States, and a resident of Louisville, in the county ofJeffersou and State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Relays; and I do declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description ofthe invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains ro to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters or figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a representation of a plan view, partly in section, illustrating this invention. Fig. 2l is asectional diagram. Fig. 3 is a side View.

This invention has relation to receivers for systems of telegraphy and telephony,or other 2o forms of electric signaling, and is especially designed to facilitate operations by feeble electrie impulses over lines of great length; and it refers to a method of operation wherein an armature is counterpoised by tension against magnetic attraction set up in a portion of the continuously and directly wound coils of the electro-magnet energized by a constantlyelosed local battery, and such balance or counterpoise is altered or changed by the hampering action of a reverselyacting main-line eurrent passing in a second portion of the same electro-magnet coils, the separate portions being so arranged that the constantly-acting local current shall operate through a portion forming a coil of low resistance,while the main line shall operate through a portion of the coils of a great number of eonvolutions or turns of Wire forming high-resistance coils in the same continuously and directly wound electromagnet.

It further provides that, through a hampering or magnetism-decreasing action ofthe reversely-acting high-resistance portion on the low resistance port-ion, said low resistance porti0n,by means of its constantly direct-acting local current, shall set up iu the high-resistanee portion induced currents opposed to any eXtra or line-induced currents when the key in the main line is closed, or at a time when 5o by asuitable form of transmitting device the strength of currentin the main line is strength- (No model.)

ened or the resistance of the main line is decreased,or there is any fall of magnetic attraction conditioned upon any change in the said main line; and it is designed in this iuvention to use the maiu-liue current to hamper or weaken the magnetic attraction set up by the local current passing in the low-resistance por tion, so that a tension exterior to the circuit shall close Contactin asupplementary circuit to 6o make a signal, and that the main-line current shall not be caused to pass through a helix or helices to effect an attraction of an armature to make a signal, as will be fully understood by referring to the drawings aud letters and figures of reference therein.

A A designate two helices wound on a core of soft iron between Bauges or spool-heads c c', and connected together at their back ends by a yoke of the same material, I), secured to the 7o iron cores a a, the upper or polar extensions, c' a', of which may be slightly enlarged to brace the upper spool-heads and allow a wide armature to be used. The wire,commencing next the core and having been suitably insulated, should be wound over aud over and around the core until the second layer of insulated wire has been coiled around the core of iron. Atthis pointthe silk or cotton insulation should be scraped off, and a branch, d, which 8O may be of a slightly larger size of wire, electrically and permanently secured thereto and brought through the lower spool-head near the commencing end, but not in contact therewith, as shown at ir; but the wire forming the continuous coil is preferably not cut. Then proceed to wind as before until the entire space between the spool-heads is filled upin regular layers, bringing the end terminals out at m m. Each of the two helices A and A are thus wound in the same direct-ion, and the spools are to be attached and ioned together by the iron yoke b. After the spools are joined,the two branches d are twisted together, and may be, for a more perfect electric coutact, soldered. The two terminals e e of the commencing ends are the connections to the local battery L, which may be of one or two cells of ordinary gravity battery, this depending on the size of wire used for the best efroo feet. It is not essential that the branch d be joined at the second layer; but it may be brought out at the upper end from the first layer or third layer, or attached to the fourth layer at the back end, the even-numberlayers `coming out at the yoke end and the odd-numberlayers at the polarend. I preferhaving the connections at the back end, and it may also be found in some cases that the two or four outside layers may be conveniently used for the low-resistance coils. Now, the two ending terminal wires indicated at m m are the connections for the main battery, (which may be from one to twelve cells of gravity, or sulphate of copper, battery,)the positive pole of the battery being shown connected to the exterior terminal wire of the same coil, having` the positive pole of the local battery connected to the interior commencing end; or, as shown in the drawings, the positive pole inthe mainline battery connected to one side of the key or transmitting-instrument,and from the other side ofthe same to the outside wire of the coil, so that the battery-current passes through the key or transmitting device, making it a part of the circuit of the main line, the negative pole of the battery M (main-line battery) being directly connected to the ground or return current, if such be in use. The other outside ending wire of the coil, which will be found in the second helix, is directly connected to line, as in the form of instrument now in use. The direction of the separate current from the separately and oppositely acting batteries M and L can be very easily followed in the sectional diagram, Fig. 2. The double-headed arrows represent the direction of flow of the main-line current and of the coil-induced current set up in the high-resistance portion of the helices bylthe low-resistance coils, and the small arrows show the direct-ion of the extra current set up by the admission of the batterycurrent to the line and coils when the key is closed in the main line, or when there is an increase of strength in the main-line current; also when there is a decrease of resistance in main line, and when there is decrease of magnetic attraction which would follow any of the above alterations, as in telephonie transmission. All these changes produce the same direction ofinduced line current. It will be observed that this induced line current or extra current above mentioned is in an opposite direction to the fiow of the main-line current and increases in strength with the length of line and convolutions of wire through which it passes, and unless neutralized would cause a retardation of the signal, and, in fact, is one of the causes why it has been impossible to telegraph over long lines with anything like the same speed as in short lines under the sys tcm now employed.

B designates an armature, which may be pivoted in a vertical position, but is preferably suspended from hardencdsteelpoints, with like hardened sockets or cups attached to the upper part of the armature. At the lower end may be aftixed to the back of the armature lever a platinum point to close against a platinum-'pointed adj listing-screw. In the front ofthe armature,opposite the platinum points, should be a hard rubber stop, which may also be adj ustable, asin other forms of relays; Near the axis of the electro-magnets is attached a device for holdingthe spring or tension, and at the farther cnd of the spring I provide a suitable form of adjustment for 1ncreasing and decreasing the tension, and proper adjustment devices for moving backward or forward the electro-magnet in order to accommodate the armature in balancing the same by its' tension against thc magnetic attraction ofthe low-resistance coils. In order to guard against getting the high-resistance portieri of the continuonslywound coll too far away from the core and lowresistance portion, that the greatest coil-induction for a given decrease of magnetic attraction may be secured, and also to obtain a maximum hampering effect for a given strength of main line current, I prefer to have the coils longer and of less diameter than is followed in ordinary electro-magnets, as by such arrangement a still further reduction of main current maybe attempted. Ihe evils arising from induction in the older forms of apparatus are not felt in this system, not only because of the feeble currents made use of, but also because the coil-induction is designed to neutralize the extra and line induction.

There are cases, no doubt,where permanent magnetism could be made use of; but at the same time a low-resistance coil at any rate Suf icient to keep the magnetism of the permanent magnet from being weakened permanently,if not reversed in polarity, would be necessary; hence I prefer to operate entirely with electro-magnetism.

In the electro-magnet herein referred to, although it is formed with a continuously-wound helix, this is so arranged that two separate currents pass in opposite directions through portions of such continuously-wound helix, said currents consisting, first, of aconstantlyacting direct local current passing through one portion, the numberof convolutions of which produce a coil of low resistance, and, secondly, of the reversely-acting main-line current passing in the other portion, which consists of a great number of convolutions and serves as a coil of high resistance in its relation to the lowresistance portion above referred to. In its action the high-resistance portion is designed t-o weaken or hamper the magnetic attraction set up by the low-resistance portion in such a manner that when an armature is counterpoised by its tension againstthe magnetic attraction this may be lessencd to allow the retractile force to preponderate and close a supplemeutary circuit, or otherwise produce a signal. It is designed, also, to provide in this form of relay or electro-magnet that inducedcurrents in the high-resistance portion set up by the constantly-acting direct local current in the low-resistance portion may pass in the high-resistance portion and main line of which IIO ISO

it is a part in the saine direction as the inainline current, and in the opposite direction to eXtra and other induced currents set up in the main line under the action ofthe key or transmitter, in order to neutralize such extra and induced currents and assist the mainline cur rent in its liainpering action with reference to the maguctizing effect of the direct local current in the low-resistance portion of the helix, to prevent retardation and prolongation ofsignals.

Having described this invention, what I claim, and desire te secure by Letters Patent, 1s-

1. In a receiver, an electro-inagnetprovided with a continuously-Wound helix having` portions relatively of high and low resistance respectively connected in the main line and constantly-closed local circuit, separate loatteries passing their currents in opposite directions in said portions, and an armature norn inally counterpoised against the magnetic attraction by a tension conditioned upon the re- Verse action of the 1nain-line current in said electrodnagnet, substantially as specified.

2. Au electro-magnetic relay provided with a continuously-wound helix having a portion of high resistance connected in the main line7 and a portion relatively of low resistance connected in a constantly-closed local circuit passing its current in the opposite direction to that ofthe inain volt-aie current in the main-line portion,to set up therein induced currents opposite in direction to the extra or otherwise induced currents of said main line to neutralize the saine, substantially as specified,

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

JOHN EDWARD WATSON., Witnesses:

C. R. FERGUSON7 T. V. WEBSTER. 

